EPISODE · Dec 11, 2025 · 11 MIN
From Best Friend to Murder: The Missy Avila Story
from 10 Minute Murder | Bingeable True Crime Stories · host Joe
From Best Friend to Murder: The Missy Avila StoryIn October 1985, 17-year-old Michele "Missy" Avila was found murdered in Big Tujunga Creek in the Angeles National Forest near Los Angeles, her body submerged under a 100-pound log. The homicide investigation revealed a brutal case of premeditated murder involving two of Missy's childhood friends, Karen Severson and Laura Doyle, who were later convicted of second-degree murder. What followed was one of the most disturbing cases of criminal deception in true crime history.This is a story about friendship gone toxic, jealousy that turned deadly, and a betrayal so complete it redefined what we think we know about manipulation. For three years after Missy's murder, one of her killers moved into the victim's family home, comforting Missy's grieving mother while hiding the truth about what happened that October day. The case eventually led to groundbreaking victim rights legislation in California. We're talking about a murder that was as personal as it gets, revenge that took the form of ritual humiliation, and a cover-up that still makes investigators shake their heads thirty years later.#MissyAvila #MicheleAvila #KarenSeverson #LauraDoyle #AngelesNationalForest #TrueCrime #UnsolvedNoMoreBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/10-minute-murder-bingeable-true-crime-stories--4603604/support.
What this episode covers
From Best Friend to Murder: The Missy Avila StoryIn October 1985, 17-year-old Michele "Missy" Avila was found murdered in Big Tujunga Creek in the Angeles National Forest near Los Angeles, her body submerged under a 100-pound log. The homicide investigation revealed a brutal case of premeditated murder involving two of Missy's childhood friends, Karen Severson and Laura Doyle, who were later convicted of second-degree murder. What followed was one of the most disturbing cases of criminal deception in true crime history.This is a story about friendship gone toxic, jealousy that turned deadly, and a betrayal so complete it redefined what we think we know about manipulation. For three years after Missy's murder, one of her killers moved into the victim's family home, comforting Missy's grieving mother while hiding the truth about what happened that October day. The case eventually led to groundbreaking victim rights legislation in California. We're talking about a murder that was as personal as it gets, revenge that took the form of ritual humiliation, and a cover-up that still makes investigators shake their heads thirty years later.#MissyAvila #MicheleAvila #KarenSeverson #LauraDoyle #AngelesNationalForest #TrueCrime #UnsolvedNoMoreBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/10-minute-murder-bingeable-true-crime-stories--4603604/support.
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From Best Friend to Murder: The Missy Avila Story
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